Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, JUNE 7, 1915. “CONSCRIPTION.”

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 222, 7 June 1915, Page 4

Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 1915. “CONSCRIPTION.”

(With which ia incorporated The Taihape Post Uui Waimarino News.)

In the hour of the Empire’s need conscription has become the most perplexing subject of controversy. Some newspapers and some statesmen do not usg that word; many speak of National training and people have been led into regarding the two terms as controvertible on synonimous, and this has led to a great deal of misunderstanding. We have a system of National training in New Zealand, but not cbhscription'. ::I New Zealanders can yet refuse to take part in the Empire’s wars, while by the, understood system of conscription, the State would take possession of them for its own needs. Among the objections to conscription is, first, the repugnance to anything that interferes with every man’s right, supposed, or real, to dispose of his person as he pleases. Another great objection in years gone by was that, for all in ail, it was the most expensive method Of raising and keeping an-army, as it very largely disturbed and disorganised the system :of employment in all grades of society In times of peace Statesmen, of whom Lord Curzon is a type, have strongly urged the adoption of compulsory military service.'They contend that it will breed a conception of citizenship involving'a common duty upon all. It takes the duke on the one hand and the costermonger on the other, and [puts them side by side In the healthy I comradeship of the' parade ground and the camp, teaching them to parry out together an equally common I duty to the -Empire to which both belong; The Opponents of conscription, -of whom Mr Haldane may be taken as a leafier, say that mixing up. a compulsory and a voluntary system is bound feojfia.il The strategical position of England la that' if she has tho command of the sea, all that b required Is %

array just large enough to force the enemy to come with such a force that the fleet can destroy it. Witfi or without conscription, if w'e have not command of th e sea we must starve. If we can force the enemy to come in such size tjhat the fleet can destroy it then we are safe. Whatever objections there may be, and they are numerous and weighty to all those who are not ever ready and willing to shed their brothers’ blood. We can imagine with w'hat smug satisfaction Lord Haldane’s reasoning would be listened to by Germany. The abov e are very briefly the views on compulsory service some years before war Avas thought probable. What the arguments now are must be modified according to the needs of A*ery serious war conditions. Some of the leading, best edited journals in Great Britain still oppose compulsory service Avhile other erstAvhile strong opponents are willing to go some part of the way in the Empire’s dire necessity. One supports a scheme for a National Register with National service as its ultimate. Another strongly opposes conscription as undemocratic and that it .would recreate Britain on a Prussian model. Still it admits that no objection can hold against the necessity of the moment. The extremes against conscription are represented by the London Chronicle, who deplores the whole controversy and regrets that instead of having a united nation we should have a divided one with a dangerous and growing anti-Avar agitation. In support of the immediate seizure of e\'ery able-bodied male throughout the Empire there is one unanswerable ■Argument: “The necessity of the Moment”; the necessity of the Empire’s supremest effort to saA r e it from defeat and to rescue it from some degree of bondage and servility. It is regrettable to see that some of our leading New Zealand journals are viewing the question in an. oldtime “Press Gang” fashion as though the cream of our manhood had. no case as opposed to those Avho are left at home in luxury, so meeven groAving indecently richon the circumstances W|hich . involve the spilling of their fellows’ blood; ?it might reasonably, be. asked by the man coming within the conscription limit of the man Avho is just without its pale: “If I give my liberty and perhaps my ;llfe, what, are' you giving? You are ready and eager to force me to give up botjh -to secure :ybur immunity from danger, uphold you in your supposed right to live in comfort at home and grow rich, regardless of the fact that you ar e compelling me to that which may leave me a (helpless cripple, dependent on State assistance, perhaps charity and want; - There are those men who do nof object to compulsory serice in the: least/men who are sufficiently patriotic as to give themselves 'for - the' salvation of their country,-hut; who, at the same.time, look upon conscription as very pn&' sided and undemocratic, as at present proposed.-. They.urge that if they are compelled to give their persons in, the defence of the Empire, those staying at home should contribute their riches; money is wanted equally .with human blood. They realise, of course, there are many unfortunately placed Avho can giA r e neither, but they, with some show of reason, contend that compulsory sendee should coa-ct- lbtwo great factors in war blood and’ money, and if one section is compelled' to give the former, the ether should' be made to contribute the latter. The necessity of the moment to de-. mand some very rpmpt action’ and’ some great sacrifices, ft has been said that the main object of the formation of a National Government in Great Britain is to introduce National Military Service; the widespread hope will b e that just and equitable laws on the subject will result. The necessity of th e moment means- so much to every unit of the Empire, despite the fact that our indifference, -ignorance or smug security may cause us to vieAV otherwise. /